U.S. patent application number 15/516586 was filed with the patent office on 2017-10-05 for water-right lte antenna having pu potting.
The applicant listed for this patent is Hirschmann Car Communication GmbH. Invention is credited to Rainer SCHIEMANN, David SILVA.
Application Number | 20170288302 15/516586 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54850311 |
Filed Date | 2017-10-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170288302 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SILVA; David ; et
al. |
October 5, 2017 |
WATER-RIGHT LTE ANTENNA HAVING PU POTTING
Abstract
The invention relates to an antenna (1) for a vehicle,
comprising a carrier, in particular a circuit board (8), wherein
antenna structures for transmitting and/or receiving high-frequency
signals are arranged on the carrier, and wherein the antenna (1)
has a plug connector (5) for connecting to an electronic device,
characterized in that the antenna (1) has a plastic half-shell (2)
having a peripheral frame (3), into which plastic half-shell the
carrier is inserted, wherein the plastic half-shell (2) is filled
up with a potting mass (4).
Inventors: |
SILVA; David; (Nuertingen,
DE) ; SCHIEMANN; Rainer; (Esslingen-Berkheim,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hirschmann Car Communication GmbH |
Neckartenzlingen |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
54850311 |
Appl. No.: |
15/516586 |
Filed: |
December 17, 2015 |
PCT Filed: |
December 17, 2015 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2015/080286 |
371 Date: |
June 8, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01Q 1/32 20130101; H01Q
1/3275 20130101; H01Q 1/40 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01Q 1/32 20060101
H01Q001/32; H01Q 1/40 20060101 H01Q001/40 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 18, 2014 |
DE |
10 2014 119 059.9 |
Claims
1. An antenna for a vehicle, comprising: a half shell with an
annular edge frame forming an upwardly open cavity; a support in
the cavity; an antenna structure s carried on the support for
transmitting and/or receiving high-frequency signals; a plug
connector on the half shell; and a potting compound generally
filling the cavity and surrounding the support and the antenna
structure.
2. The antenna defined in claim 1, further comprising: a fastener
fixing the support to the plastic half-shell.
3. The antenna defined in claim 1, wherein the plastic half-shell
forms a plug connector housing of the plug connector.
4. The antenna defined in claim 1, wherein the plastic half-shell
has a mounting base.
5. The antenna defined in claim 4, wherein the mounting base is
connected to an angle bracket.
6. The antenna defined in claim 5, wherein the mounting base is
connected by an angle bracket to the holder.
7. The antenna defined in any claim 1, wherein the plug connector
is a gFAKRA plug connector.
8. The antenna defined in any claim 1, wherein the potting compound
is PU-based.
9. The antenna defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein
the potting compound is epoxy-based.
10. The antenna defined in claim 1, wherein the potting compound is
silicone-based.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to an antenna for a vehicle, having a
support, particularly a circuit board, carrying antenna structures
for transmitting and/or receiving high-frequency signals and with a
plug connector for connecting the antenna to an electronic device
according to the features of the preamble of patent claim 1.
[0002] Water-tight products are required for antenna applications
on the exterior of an automobile. Water-tight housings, for example
two housing parts that are interconnected by a gasket, are
expensive to manufacture and assemble and are therefore generally
very cost-intensive.
[0003] It is therefore the object of the invention to further
develop a known antenna such that it is simple to manufacture and
cost-effective and has the required water-tightness.
[0004] This object is achieved by the features of patent claim
1.
[0005] According to the invention, the antenna has a plastic
half-shell with an annular frame into which the support is
inserted, with the plastic half-shell being filled with a potting
compound. The plastic half-shell with the annular frame can be
manufactured in a cost-effective manner, for example in a plastic
injection-molding process. This is particularly true of high lot
sizes. After the manufacture of the plastic half-shell with the
annular frame, the support--for example, the circuit board carrying
the antenna structures for transmitting and/or receiving
high-frequency signals--can be fitted into the annular frame of the
plastic half-shell and fixed in its required position. The plastic
half-shell is then filled with the potting compound until at least
the upper face of the support, preferably both faces as well as the
edges, are embedded in the potting compound. Since the volume of
the plastic half-shell to be filled with the potting compound is
known (optionally also that of the support, the fastener, and the
plug connector extending into the plastic half-shell), a
predetermined amount of potting compound can be filled into the
plastic half-shell and harden there, thereby providing the required
water-tightness and thus mechanical protection for the sensitive
antenna structures as well. The volume of the potting compound is
selected such that the potting compound cannot overflow the upper
edge of the annular frame, but rather ends right at or slightly
below it. After the above-described manufacture of the antenna, the
support, particularly the circuit board, with the antenna
structures is advantageously not only enclosed completely by
potting compound, but rather, due to the presence of the plastic
half-shell with the annular frame, the antenna also has the
stability that is required for applications mounted outside an
automobile.
[0006] In a development of the invention, the support, particularly
the circuit board, is fastened to the plastic half-shell by a
fastener. This fastener can be locking hooks that coact with
spacers on the surface of the plastic half-shell in order to fix
the laminar support, particularly the circuit board, a short
spacing above the surface of the plastic half-shell, so that the
space created in this way can be filled with the potting compound
in order to achieve water-tightness. As will readily be understood,
other types of fastener, such as rivets, screws, or simple spacers
that are between the support and the plastic half-shell and are
subsequently also embedded in the potting compound are also
conceivable. In a development of the invention, the plastic
half-shell forms a plug connector housing of the plug connector.
This offers the advantage that the plug connector housing of the
plug connector is also already manufactured directly during the
manufacture of the plastic half-shell, particularly in a plastic
casting process or in a plastic injection-molding process. The
separate manufacture of a plug connector housing that can be
mounted on the plastic half-shell is thus advantageously omitted
but is also possible as an alternative nonetheless. In a
development of the invention, the plastic half-shell has a mounting
base. The mounting base is designed such that it can be used to
position and fasten the antenna in the desired installation
site.
[0007] In addition or as an alternative to the mounting base of the
plastic half-shell, it is conceivable for the antenna, particularly
the mounting base, to be connected to a holder, particularly an
angle bracket. The antenna can be positioned and fixed at its
installation site either using only the mounting base or using only
the holder or through the joint use of the mounting base and the
holder. If the mounting base and the holder are separate
components, it is advantageous for a unitary mounting base of the
antenna to be used that works with different holders, particularly
different angle brackets, thus enabling adaptation to different
installation geometries.
[0008] In a development of the invention, the mounting base is
connected via at least one bar to the holder, particularly the
angle bracket. In this way, the antenna can be arranged
approximately at a right angle to the mounting surface where it is
arranged and fixed, with this arrangement achieving the stability
that is required especially in applications outside an automobile
through the at least one bar, particularly two bars. In a
development of the invention, the plug connector is a FAKRA plug
connector. A standardized plug connector is thus made available for
automotive use, so that the antenna can be used universally and
connected to the electronic device.
[0009] In a development of the invention, the potting compound is a
PU-based or epoxy-based or silicone-based compound. Different
variants are thus available for the potting compound that can be
selected as a function of the materials used (particularly the
material of the support and of the plastic half-shell), the usage
conditions (for example, the interior or exterior of the vehicle),
the manageability during pouring, and the cost. It is especially
advantageous if the potting compound is a PU (polyurethane) based
compound, since such a potting compound makes water-tightness and
very good manageability available at relatively low cost.
[0010] An embodiment of an antenna according to the invention is
described below and explained with reference to the figures in
which:
[0011] FIGS. 1 to 3 show, insofar as is shown in detail, an antenna
1 having a plastic half-shell 2, with the plastic half-shell 2
having an annular frame 3 particularly on its outer edge.
[0012] Depending on the antenna structures, antenna elements, or
the like used, the antenna 1 is designed to transmit and/or receive
high-frequency signals. The frequency ranges and services (such as
telephone, internet, GPS, WLAN, etc.) can be freely selected. The
use of LTE (Long-Term Evolution) frequencies is especially
advantageous, since the antenna is then used on the exterior of the
vehicle where water-tightness plays an important role. In FIGS. 1
to 3, a support (no longer visible) with antenna structures has
been placed into the plastic half-shell 2, and the volume within
the plastic half-shell 2 has been filled with a potting compound 4
up to no more than the level of the edge of the annular frame
3.
[0013] The plastic half-shell 2 is filled with the potting compound
4 up to no higher than the upper edge of the annular frame 3, but
it can also be filled to below the frame 3. A plug connector 5,
particularly a FAKRA plug connector, projects outward from the
antenna 1 in order to feed the signals received by the antenna 1
via a suitable mating plug connector and a cable to an electronic
device (not shown in further detail). The same applies when
high-frequency signals are to be emitted via an electronic device
from the antenna 1.
[0014] For the purpose of fastening the antenna 1 in its
installation site, it has a mounting base 6 that is formed
unitarily of one piece with the plastic half-shell 2, its frame 3,
the plug connector 5 (more precisely, its plug connector housing),
and the mounting base 6. While the mounting base 6 can be designed
such that it can be used to position and fix the antenna 1 at its
installation site, in an alternative embodiment an angle bracket 7
is fixed to the mounting base 6. If the angle bracket 7 (or,
generally, a another type of holder that need not necessarily be
angular) is made of a metallic material and can optionally be used
for a ground connection or to shield the antenna 1.
[0015] FIG. 4 shows the antenna 1 before the potting compound 4 has
been poured into the plastic half-shell 2. It can be seen here that
a support, particularly a circuit board 8, has been fitted into the
frame 3 of the plastic half-shell 2. It is conceivable for spacers
to be present on the surface of the plastic half-shell 2 facing
toward the circuit board 8, so that the potting compound 4 can flow
through a gap between the outer edge of the circuit board 8 and the
inner surface of the frame 3 into the space between the surface of
the circuit board 8 and the surface of the plastic half-shell 2. In
addition or alternatively to this space, the circuit board 8 can,
as shown in FIG. 4, also have at least one hole, particularly also
several holes, so that the potting compound 4 can be poured into
the laminar space between plastic half-shell 2 and the circuit
board 8. This is necessary particularly if the outer edge of the
circuit board 8 rests completely or nearly completely against the
frame 3 or is position at a very short spacing therefrom. Moreover,
FIG. 4 shows that a fastener 9 is present. Here, the fastener 9 is
a screw that extends through a hole in the circuit board 8 and
engages in a screwthread of the plastic half-shell 2. In this case
as well, at least one spacer can be present between the back face
of the circuit board 8 directed toward the plastic half-shell 2,
and the surface of the plastic half-shell 2 that is directed toward
the back face of the circuit board 8 in order to maintain the
circuit board 8 at a spacing from the plastic half-shell 2. While
the plug connector housing is a component of the plastic half-shell
2, the inner conductor of the plug connector 5 extends toward a
soldering point 10 on the circuit board 8. This means that, after
the circuit board 8 has been placed into the plastic half-shell 2,
the inner conductor of the plug connector 5 is soldered to the
point 10 on the circuit board 8 in order to establish an electrical
connection between the plug connector 5 and the antenna structures
(neither designated nor shown) on the circuit board 8. The region
of the soldering point 10 can also be referred to as the base of
the antenna 1.
[0016] In the embodiment shown, a bar 11 is a component of the
plastic half-shell 2. As can be seen very well particularly in FIG.
3, two parallel bars 11 are present that coact with the holder,
particularly the angle bracket 7. It is conceivable, for example,
for the at least one bar 11 to be embodied such that it can be used
to fix the holder, particularly the angle bracket 7, to the plastic
half-shell 2. This can be achieved using a tongue-and-groove system
between the holder and the bar, so that the holder is pushed up
over the at least one bar 11, particularly both bars 11, toward the
plastic half-shell 2 and caused to abut, thereby fixing it in place
at the same time. This can be durably supported by corresponding
locking formations.
[0017] While only one single fastener 9 is shown in FIG. 4, it is
of course also conceivable to provide more than only one fastener
9.
List of Reference Symbols
[0018] 1 Antenna
[0019] 2 Plastic half-shell
[0020] 3 Frame
[0021] 4 Potting compound
[0022] 5 Plug connector
[0023] 6 Mounting base
[0024] 7 Angle bracket
[0025] 8 Circuit board
[0026] 9 Fastener
[0027] 10 Soldering point
[0028] 11 Bar
* * * * *